Dust cover for books



June 17, 1952 A. w. MOON DUST COVER FOR BOOKS Filed June 15, 1950 INVEN TO)? 3/ AEIHUR IM MOON 3,14%, 63%.;

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Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUST COVER FOR BOOKS Arthur'W. Moon, Middletown, Ohio Application June 15, 1950, SerialNo. 168,293

1 Claim,

The present invention relates to accessories for books, more particularly to dust covers for protecting the edges of the pages from dust.

It is customary to clean books stored on library shelves by feather dusters, and sometimes by small vacuum cleaners on occasion, dust cloths are employed with a slight sprinkling of oil to assist in shedding the dust. However, on any and all of these occasions, particularly in public libraries, extra help must be employed togo through the book racks once or twice a month. While this help is of relatively unskilled type, nevertheless it is expensive in the case of large volume libraries, and, in addition, the books may suffer from the constant banging, thumping and removal from the racks during the cleaning periods.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a dust cover for books which is inexpensive, can be readily applied to all sizes and thicknesses of books and does not deface any part of the book.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust cover which remains with the book for long periods of time and not only prevents dust from accumulating along the top edges of the pages but also tends to prevent the-yellowing effect along these edges through excess light or age.

A further object is to provide a dust cover in which the general construction remains the same but the cover can be adjusted by the user with very little effort to the proper thickness and width of the book.

A still further object is to provide a dust cover for books which can be manufactured in large quantity production and shipped with the minimum packing space and weight required.

In carrying out the above objects, my invention contemplates the use of a cardboard sheet or plate which is bent at predetermined scored lines and can readily be fitted over the top edges of the pages to fit snugly between the inside sur faces of the cover.

The invention will be better understood when reference is made to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a book cover employed in accordance with my invention but in fiat form substantially as it leaves the press and is ready to be shipped.

Figure 2 illustrates the same cover as shown in Figure 1 but bent or shaped to the proper size to leaf attachment flaps.

Figure 3 depicts the manner in which the cover can be applied to a book.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a book to which the cover has been attached, the sections being taken vertically down through the middle of the book.

Figure 5 represents a book cover of the general 2 type shown in Figures 1v and 2 except that the parts are adapted to be expanded or contracted in order to provide adjustment for variously sized books, including different thicknesses and widths.

Figure 6 indicates one way in which the' cover can be reduced in size so as to be fitted to a given book.

Referring to Figure 1, reference character I designates a sheet of cardboard, preferably. white, the outline of which is represented by a. long rectangular portion indicated at 2' and transversely extending wings 3, 4 which are. of smaller width than the length of the rectangular portions. The wing.3 is provided with an extension 5 terminated by a curved surface 6, the extension having a width that is approximately the same asthe aggregate thickness of the pages of the book to which the cover is to be applied. Scored lines indicated at l are spaced apart the same distance as the width of theportion 5' and extend widthwise of the cardboard sheet. These scored lines may be formedat the time that the outline of the sheet is cut out so that the manufacture of the entire cover in flat form is accomplished by a single operation of the press. A cutaway portion 8 forming the sides of the extension Bis provided in order to clear the rear corner edges of the pages as the book is opened. The length of this cutaway, as measured from the surface 6 to the nearest edge'of the wing portion 3, is normally one-half inch and the same for all books regardless of thickness and width. The width and length of the rectangular portions 2 are not particularly critical, noris the width of the wing portions 3, 4 but in general the cover in flat form will havethe approximate proportional dimensions and shape of that shown in Figure 1.

A gob or spot of stamp glue 9 may be'applied' to one of the wing portions 2 on the same side 'of the sheet as contains the scored lines I.

In order to use the dust cover for a typical book, it is simply necessary to bend the cover at the scored lines as indicated in Figure 2 and apply moisture to-the spot 9. The'cover is then positioned over the upper edges ofthe leaves or pages of the book, the side flaps 2 falling downwardly and abutting the inside surface of'the cover of the book. When the inverted U-shaped dust cover is pressed downwardly until the top portion 5 contacts the upper edges of the leaves the flap to which the glue has been applied is then pressed against the adjacent book. cover and held there for a moment in order tov cause the dust cover permanently to become attached. The opposite fiat 2 must be left loose as indicated in Figure 3 in order that the front cover ID of the book can be opened and the leaves llturned after the cover I has been raised at one of the scored lines so as to clear the pages. When the book is returned to the rack a slight pressure on the upper fiat portion of the dust cover is all that is necessary to press the cover downwardly while the book covers are being compressed. It will be found that when the scored lines 1 are properly positioned along the upper corners of the book leaves in aggregate the upper flap portion of the dust cover will rest snugly against the upper edges of the leaves and thereby prevent dust from settling between the cover and the leaves. This snugness of fit is illustrated in Figure 4 showing the inverted U-shaped section to which the book cover conforms when it has been fitted to the proper dimensions.

It is not normally necessary to dust the upper flat surface of the cover I as often as would be necessary if the cover were lacking, and in any case, the dusting can be done with the maximum facility and without causing the slightest damage to the leaves of the book because the sirable to extend the cover at the edge Ha to project approximately one-fourth of an inch beyond the front edges of the leaves of the book as an overhang, thereby offering some dust protection to the upper portions of the front edges of the leaves.

Recognizing the fact that there are multitudinous sizes of books, in length, width and thickness, and in order that my improved dust cover can conveniently apply to all books regardless of size, the cover may take the form illustrated in Figure 5. In this case the general pattern orshape of the cardboard disc I2 is somewhat similar to that illustrated in Figure 1 except that theportion l3 which normally lies flat over the upper edges of the leaves is now considerably widened and contains a plurality of equally spaced scored lines l4 extending the full width of the flat portion. The scoring preferably should be approximately one-eighth of an inch apart and having depth such that sharply defined corners can-be attained by a creasing or bending operation at any one of the lines, but leaving the remainder of the sheet in a perfectly fiat con- .dition. It is apparent that these creases are I made at positions to correspond with the outside upper edges of the leaves in aggregate and by providing a number of scored lines any thickness of book can be accommodated in this manner without reducing the efficacy of the remainder of the cover material.

In order to provide for different widths of the various books to which the dust cover may be applied an extension of the cardboard as indicated at I5, is provided of a length such that the greatest width of the cardboard sheet as measured from the curved edge 6 to the outer straight edge I6 is sufiiciently great to cover a book of maximum width. Thus by providing perforated lines I! which appear in columns approximately one-fourth of an inch apart the length of the strip between edges 6 and I6 can be adjusted to any width desired by tearing or breaking off the surface material as indicated in Figure 6.

The book cover of the nonextensible type as shown in Figure 1 and of the extensible type as shown in Figure can be made in flat form by a single operation of the press in quantity production and can be shipped in this form to the various libraries so that a small box may contain literally thousands of covers which can be readily applied to all books regardless of thickness and width. It is apparent that as the dust cover becomes worn, soiled, by dust or age, it is a simple matter to detach the side fiat 2 from the cover of the book at the glued spot 9.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have disclosed an improved dust cover for books which will eliminate most of the chore of dusting and particularly minimize any deteriorating effects of dust or excess light impinging on the upper edges of the pages, thereby to increase the useful life of the book.

While I have described my improved dust cover as being made of cardboard, in the interest of expense, it will be understood that other materials may be employed for this purpose such as thin sheets of pliable plastic material which lend themselves to a sharp crease at the scored lines without cracking. Indeed, the improved book cover may actually be made out of a heavier plastic material in which the bend at the line 1 which may or may not be scored, is made by the manufacturer. In this last mentioned case it would not be necessary to supply the spot of stamp glue, but simple rely on the weight of the dust cover to hold the same down against the edges of the book leaves. Various widths and lengths of the flat portion 5 may be provided in connection with the dust cover made of plastic material to accommodate the differently sized books. However, I have found that when a cardboard element is used in which creases are provided, also the necessary perforations, the ultimate user can adapt the cover to any size book.

- Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An expansible dust cover for books comprising a flat sheet of pliable material having an elongated flat central section, said section having longitudinally extending parallel scored lines therein whereby said sheet of material is adapted to be creased and made to form an inverted U- shaped dust cover member for fitting snugly over the top edge portions of the leaves of a book, said central section comprising an extension portion which is adapted to be reduced in length, spaced parallel perforated sections arranged transversely of the length of said extension portion for detachment therefrom so that the length of said central section is made to conform with the width of a book on which the dust cover is mounted, said U-shaped member being adapted to have one of its leg members inserted between the initial leaf of the book and the front cover part of the book and the other of said leg member positioned between the last leaf of the book and the back cover of the book ARTHUR W. MOON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 658,666 Mahony Sept. 25, 1900 1,284,896 Holden et a1. Nov. 12, 1913 1,337,612 Miller Apr. 20, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 279,625 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1927 225,169 Switzerland Jan. 15, 1943 

